Segi is proscribed as a terrorist organisation (as a member of ETA)
by both the Spanish and French[3]authorities as well as the European Union as
a whole.[4]
In its decision, on 27 February 2007, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice
(ECJ) dismissed the appeal of the illegal Basque organisation
"Gestoras Pro Amnistia"[5] and
SEGI members against their dismissal by the European Council with
claims for damages suffered as a result of inclusion in the
"terrorist list".[6] The UK
intervened with Spain – it was the only other EU state to do so, as
a symbol of the support of the rest of the European Council.[7][8]

Background

Garzón had previously banned the two other Basque youth
organizations that preceded Segi: Jarrai and Haika.[9][10]

Spanish and other European courts have banned a number of
ETA-related organizations such as newspapers – Egin
(1998), Egunkaria
(2003); youth organisations – Jarrai (1999), Haika (2001), Segi
(2002); prisoner associations – Askatasuna (2002) and Gestoras
Pro-Amnistia (2003) and political parties such as Herri Batasuna
(1997) and its successor Batasuna (2003).[11][12][13] All
those decisions have been based on the proved direct coordination
of such organisations with ETA (i.e. the organisations have been
declared "members of a terrorist group" and of "cooperation with
terrorist groups" by helping in the recruitment of new members and
supporting ETA's finances).

According to An
Phoblacht the case descended into a farce when another
judge in the Spanish National Court considered that Garzón’s
arguments "were not valid" and released all the detainees.[14]
However another report suggests that the Supreme Court ruled they
were a terrorist organization, but had not been placed on the
country's terrorist list before the court's January 19 ruling.[15]

Support from
abroad

Ógra Shinn Féin (the youth wing of
political party Sinn
Féin), which maintains fraternal relations with SEGI,[16] has
called for the "immediate release of our comrades in Euskal
Herria". It has begun an online petition to demand the reversal of
the decision to declare SEGI to be an illegal and terrorist
organization. The petition claims that the Spanish Government has
"decided to brand a completely legitimate political group as
terrorists in an attempt to subvert the ever present Basque
national liberation struggle". It is also campaigning for the
release of the National Executive of SEGI, who were arrested on a
protest and were sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. Ógra Sinn Féin
has passed a motion in support of Segi at a recent congress,
declaring their support.